I am on lbakers side here.

How long have you been researching the Labrador Retriever? If you haven't been researching Labs for about a month or so, I guarantee you, you don't know that much about the breed. How much do you know about them?

You need to be EXTREMELY careful about where you get Labradors from, thanks to over-breeding they are prone to gazillions of health problems such as obesity, hip dysplasia, etc. If you go through a breeder, you have to make 100% sure the breeder is reputable, breeding to improve the breed, not to make money. You also need to make sure the parents of the puppies are CERF/OFA certified with a good grade- that is critical if you are getting a Lab from a breeder. You also have to check and see if the Labs are being bred more for hunting, show, or house pet. Their attitudes can vary based on what they are bred for.

Labradors require a HUGE amount of attention along with exercise- but you have to be careful if you over exercise a Lab it will increase their chance of joint/hip problems. If you cannot give a Labrador the attention it craves, you are going to be in deep trouble, they will develop bad manners to seek attention. They will turn destructive and destroy as much as possible. If you cannot give the Labrador the hour to hour and a half exercise they need, your Lab will get fat, fast- Labbies are known to become fat fast with improper diet and lack of exercise. Lab puppies LOVE to chew- that's all they do- chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew chew. Labrador Retrievers don't fully mature until they are about 3 or 4 years old, so you will be dealing with a "puppy" for quite sometime. Also, you cannot keep a Labrador housed outside year round either, they CRAVE human attention and will essentially die inside if they are housed away from their humans- it's torture for Labradors.

If you are still in school, there is no way you have enough time to give a Labrador puppy- it's impossible. If you got a puppy during summer vacation, that would be different because you most likely would be home to give it the proper attention, potty train it, leash train it, and start with basic commands/training.

As of right now, I do not think you are ready for the challenge a Labrador will bring upon you and your family.

$0.10